Stressed

[Micksue]

Hi I am 71 years old I have just got results of my CT scan and I have bronchiectasis. I am so shocked my lungs were fine until January when I started with a cough and cold It's gone down hill since then. I can't stop coughing every time I walk I cough. I am so tired and stressed I also have diverticula and arthritis. I just need to know if this cough will ever go away x

[Shancock]

Your doctor needs to refer you to a respiratory specialist asap who can then give you full details on how to clear your lungs daily using breathing techniques and a device called an Acapella that you breathe into.

Lots of people on here who have far more experience of it who can offer more advice but that's the first thing the GP must do. By clearing the lungs you will clear your cough and be less likely to get future infections. You should also have some emergenency antibiotics for when you do get a bad cold that's not clearing.

A GP will hav little knowledge of this condition so it's vital that you have a specialist in place for you to see.

[Micksue in reply to Shancock]

Thank you for your reply. I have made an appointment to see a consultant on the 9th of June so hopefully he can sort me out The symptoms only started in January I had a clear X-ray in 2015 It has come on so quick x

[Stumpy55]

Hello Micksue, I feel for you and understandably you are stressed because it is a shock to begin with and it hits the panic button within you, and you think what happens next. Well firstly you have to except what you have before you can deal with it. Listen to your G.P and follow instructions with medication etc. I have Bronchiectusis and I take Carbasisteen, which I find really good for coughing up the phlegm off your chest that causes the coughing all the time. Your coughing can be controlled with the right medication. Everyone is different so not meds will be the right ones, so it's a case of try different things alongside your G.P and specialist. We are here for you so you need not ever feel alone my friend. Please stay Intouch. ✋️🙂

[Micksue in reply to Stumpy55]

Thank you for your reply and information it's also good to know people are out there to talk to and give reassurance and advice x

[Micksue in reply to Stumpy55]

Mornings are bad for me and when I walk I start to cough it's awful. Don't know what to do to stop it X

[Sleepyhead1984 in reply to Stumpy55]

I've had reaccuring chest infections 2 years I had xray and scan but gp did not ref specialist just keeps giving ab as sputum test shows infection . He's only ref when I ask last month , now terrified it could be worse .

[Maximonkey]

Hi Micksue, have you seen a consultant and had a CT scan? if you have you should also have been given information which will help you to understand bronchiectasis. Please stop stressing, I know it is difficult but we all feel very anxious and frightened on diagnosis, I had never heard of bronchiectasis and felt so ill I thought I was dying, of course I wasn't. My consultant decided to try Azithromycin 3 times per week and thankfully it worked, my miracle pill. The cough gradually stopped and now I only cough when I have an infection. So there is hope, ask us on the forum anything you like and we will try and advise you. Take Care, Maximonkey

[Micksue in reply to Maximonkey]

Thank you so much for your reply. I had a CTScan 4 weeks ago and got results yesterday. I have made an appointment to see a consultant privately because my GP said it would be at least 2 months befor I get an appointment on the NHS I see him on the 9th of may. My GP told me he can't help me because it's above his head He told me all the technical details of the decease but not how to help myself. I have sat about feeling sorry for myself for the last 2 months so I haven't really used my lungs. But I now realise I need to keep walking and doing things as normal. Is there any exercise I can do to help with my cough x

[Claudine]

Yes, it is stressful when first diagnosed but only because so many people (incl many GPs) don't have any experience of it. There are loads of us on here who do!! It wouldn't have been picked up by your previous X-ray - they're useless. It's probably been coming on for years and takes a bad infection to draw everyone's attention to it. Removal of mucus is the most important aspect and Carbocisteine helps to thin it out in order to remove it more easily. The specialist will probably refer you to a physio with chest experience and may well give you antibiotics to start on when/if another infection starts. Good luck. It's not infectious which is often what everyone wants to know but stay away from people/grandchildren with colds etc.

[Micksue in reply to Claudine]

Thank you for your reply. What is Carbocisteine ?

[Claudine]

It also goes under the name of Mucodyne - it thins the mucus so it's easier to cough up. I take 2 tablets 3 times a day. If the mucus is just allowed to settle in the lungs then it will result in infections. Also, when you cough up, don't swallow it - that's not good for the digestion! It's a good idea to keep a list of the questions you want to ask the specialist because it all seems rather overwhelming on the first occasion. I was told 10 years ago it is not a disease - it's a condition. In other words, you can manage it. It can be pretty exhausting though. Which is why there aren't many overweight sufferers of Bronchiectasis - we use up loads of calories just coughing. Keep in touch with us.

[Micksue in reply to Claudine]

Thank you I will keep in touch. I use tissues all the time I try not to swallow x